Symbol: Tom's Scars
Unlike the rest of his wounds and injuries, the scars around Tom’s neck are deeply symbolic. They tie in with both Hana’s consideration of the truth about Japanese people's torture of their enemies and her husband’s insistence upon the superiority of Japan. One could argue that any civilization that tortures could hardly be considered superior to any other, and the scars are clearly evidence that the rumors of torture have some basis in reality. Whether or not Buck can or wants to admit this, America also tortured and tortures prisoners, so her short story has deep resonance in innumerable capacities. Thus, the scars on Tom are representative of the scars humans give to other humans in their quest for power and supremacy.
Symbol: Blood
Blood is a central symbol of the story, most obliquely encapsulated in the narrator’s assertion that “blood is the best of fertilizers” as the cook allows the blood of a freshly killed bird to flow onto wisteria. The symbolism of blood is expansive. Through the doctor's operating on both the American and Japanese soldiers, blood is situated as the unifier of humanity as its source cannot be determined on its own. The quote above, however, also makes blood symbolically representative of the poison of nationalistic pride that is passed along and "fertilizes" things like racism and prejudice.
